Reimagining Religion 2018: New Stories, New Communities

One of the biggest religion stories of today is the rising number of Americans who no longer identify with a particular religion. But disaffiliation is only one side of the story. The current period of flux also is characterized by people and congregations exploring spirituality and experimenting with new forms of religious expression.

For communicators and journalists, today's religious creativity represents opportunities for more complex and compelling narratives of meaning, purpose, and identity that will engage audiences. At this one-day conference, we will explore "reimagined communities” and new forms of storytelling.

We will hear from Hollywood creatives, religion reporters, communications and journalism academics, regional activists and pioneers in emerging communities and innovative storytelling. We seek to highlight how, through storytelling, communicators are instigators for change.

A conference hosted by the Knight Program in Media and Religion at the Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism in cooperation with Religion News Association and Religion Communicators Council, as well as with co-sponsors: the USC Center for Religion and Civic Culture, Claremont School of Theology, and Los Angeles First United Methodist.